Anyone else worried?

John N · Joined: 18 Sep 2002 Posts: 1000

What is going on with this industry? I've had 1 ( yes one) gig offer in the last month, up until then I was getting 2 or 3 a week minimum. Worried from Rochester! Shocked

spikymike · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 5825 Location: Nottingham

Are clubs shutting down? Are numbers struggling?
Most of ours are pretty busy and the odd one that has fallen by the wayside has been replaced.
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Funhouse Comedy Clubs in Nottingham, Derby, Grantham, Lincoln, Burton, Ashby, Tamworth, Loughborough, Eastwood and Leicester. Best Midlands Club, Chortle 2006 and 2008 Awards http://www.funhousecomedy.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/funhouse_comedy

John N · Joined: 18 Sep 2002 Posts: 1000

I have no idea Spikey, all I know is the phone has stopped ringing! Maybe I've gone deaf?

John N · Joined: 18 Sep 2002 Posts: 1000

And as if by magic I get a gig offer! Weird

hodgson · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 1144

I think a lot of people are worried and giiging less than they were but don't admit it cos they don't want to look like they're not swimming in cash like Scrooge Mc Duck. Fees for headlining mid week gigs aren't going up and petrol and train fare prices continue to soar so it may be scary times ahead for some. Mind you no-one should enter any sphere of showbusiness without a plan for hard times aswell as good ones
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"Clothes are important.They make you what you are"- Ronnie Kray

mightyjoe bromehead · Joined: 29 Jan 2010 Posts: 406 Location: sheffield

I'm really wanting to make the transition to full time but I'm going to hang fire a bit I think as I'm constantly hearing stories of amazing comedians having weekends free! Although I'm getting regular well paid work I would certainly be nail biting if I had to pay my mortgage on this income alone.

hodgson · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 1144

It's a shame that weeknight pro gigs aren't flourishing as much as new act nights cos there's loads of new act nights and not enough pro gigs on weeknights
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"Clothes are important.They make you what you are"- Ronnie Kray

John N · Joined: 18 Sep 2002 Posts: 1000

It's refreshing to get honest feedback from Will & Joe. This time last year I was pretty much booked up until January, the odd weekend was free but loads of overseas stuff more than compensated for that, I now have more weekends free than are booked yet I'm working for more promoters.
I saved for a rainy day, nobody mentioned this bloody drought though.

spikymike · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 5825 Location: Nottingham

I guess that is because there are a lot of pubs desperate to get people in, but not able to risk shelling out on something that could lose them a load of money.
Having said that, some will. Launced a new night at a pub in Grimsby last week which sold out with a quality pro bill.
Don't really know what is happening with weekend clubs. I think the Groupon culture is damaging them.
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Funhouse Comedy Clubs in Nottingham, Derby, Grantham, Lincoln, Burton, Ashby, Tamworth, Loughborough, Eastwood and Leicester. Best Midlands Club, Chortle 2006 and 2008 Awards http://www.funhousecomedy.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/funhouse_comedy

John N · Joined: 18 Sep 2002 Posts: 1000

I used to be out at least twice a week doing midweek gigs, these have all but dried up! Having said that, I was out last night & tonight but that is the exception rather than the rule.

thecomedycow · Joined: 13 Feb 2010 Posts: 60 Location: Milton Keynes

I opened up a club in Milton Keynes, but at the moment it is on hold.

The reason being I can not find the right venue. The venue I was holding it in was perfect, however it wanted either £250 room hire, or £6.95 a person to offer food as part of it.

I got the pricing right on the acts etc, and was offering excellent value for money and just about breaking even most nights, however then clubs started opening up everywhere and it became impossible to continue and to break-even due to the venue.

I am hoping to relaunch somewhere in the future but it is purely a hobby and not professional in any way.

Steve
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www.thecomedycow.co.uk

laughingalfie · Joined: 17 Feb 2008 Posts: 452 Location: North Lincolnshire

spikymike · Joined: 18 Feb 2003 Posts: 5825 Location: Nottingham

Yes totally. No point in working with venues that are not prepared to see promoting as a partnership.
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Funhouse Comedy Clubs in Nottingham, Derby, Grantham, Lincoln, Burton, Ashby, Tamworth, Loughborough, Eastwood and Leicester. Best Midlands Club, Chortle 2006 and 2008 Awards http://www.funhousecomedy.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/funhouse_comedy

saltboxcomedy · Joined: 15 Jan 2008 Posts: 19 Location: Norwich

With the lack of midweek pro nights I believe a vicious circle has started up with new act nights.
Certainly in areas without any comedy previously.
When i started running a club I was forced by a lack of local acts and an untested audience to go for a hybrid new act with headliner. With the intention of eventually graduating it into a pro night.
I based this on certain models I'd seen in London and then on the Comedy Store format as the eventual end result.

These days new comedians travel and think they'll start a night near there home. Brilliant I'm all for it. But because there experience is the open mic format that becomes there model of how to run a comedy night.

Thus propagating itself.
An example of this is when discussing my strongly "anti bring a friends rule" I was told. "But isn't that how you run comedy nights"

Anthony Miller · Joined: 21 Jun 2001 Posts: 11023 Location: Chavdon